Etsy and eBay use different fee models, so the cheaper one depends on what and how much you sell.
The two fee models
| Fee | Etsy | eBay |
|---|---|---|
| Selling fee | 6.5% transaction | ~13.6% final value (12.7-15.3% by category) |
| Per-order fee | none | $0.30 (<= $10) / $0.40 (> $10) |
| Payment processing | 3% + $0.25 (US) | included in final value fee |
| Listing fee | $0.20 per listing | none (free listings up to a limit) |
| All-in on a $50 sale | ~$4.95 (~9.9%) | ~$7.20 (~14.4%) |
Where the catches hide
- Etsy’s listing fee is charged even if the item never sells, and renews every four months. If you list a lot and sell little, it adds up.
- Etsy Offsite Ads is a mandatory 12% fee on ad-attributed sales once you pass $10,000 in trailing-year sales (optional 15% below that).
- eBay charges its percentage on shipping and sales tax, so the effective rate is higher than the headline on items with pricey shipping.
- eBay has cheaper categories - guitars are ~6.35%, some electronics lower - which can beat Etsy for the right product.
Who wins
- Handmade, craft, vintage, digital downloads -> Etsy, for both the lower fee and the buyer intent.
- Used, refurbished, collectibles, parts, instruments -> eBay, for reach and lower category rates.
- Building a brand long-term -> consider a Shopify store (no commission, just processing) - see Etsy vs Shopify.
See the side-by-side Etsy vs eBay page and run your item through the profit calculator.
Snapshot June 2026 - fees change; verify on Etsy’s and eBay’s official fee pages.